Notable News Events, and How the Journal Covered Them

April 17, 1978: Apple Computer?

This 1978 personal-finance article will make you feel like a pioneer, if you were alive then. It refers to the hot product of “so-called personal computers”–and has what we believe is the first mention of Apple Computer in the WSJ. Today in WSJ History, April 17, 1978.

Comments (5 of 8)

O.K. I really like the thought of posting this article, but couldn't you use modern technology like character recognition to convert it to digital so we can read it easier?

4:23 pm April 17, 2014

Joe Comerford wrote:

Having done a lot of mainframe programming as an undergrad, it was exciting to start using PCs in the late 70s, and having a whole machine all to yourself. I think the path from 1978 to maybe 1992 or so was fairly linear, but the unanticipated turn has been ubiquitous connectivity. Who imagined that everyone would have a big pipeline to the sum total of human knowledge, mostly in real-time, from his/her desktop or pocket or purse? Not even in science fiction.

3:52 pm April 17, 2014

Russ Aldrich wrote:

Ah, the 'big' three of the day: VisiCalc, Word Star and Quick Draw. The Apple // and Apple /// had some very powerful programs for the day. However, saving to a drive was a chore. Great flashback article!

3:12 pm April 17, 2014

Interesting note wrote:

The same Charles W. Missler mentioned in that 1978 WSJ article is today one of the best Bible teachers that I've ever heard. A very smart man. Check him out on YouTube.

2:11 pm April 17, 2014

Geo wrote:

Back then I do not think anybody envisioned how entrenched computers would become or how connected the world would become as the information revolution came around. It is very interesting to see how much computers cost back then and unique those who had one seemed to be. Very nice article to post. Thanks WSJ.

Today in WSJ History

As the Journal celebrates its 125th year, we look back on how the paper covered the biggest news events since the first paper – just four pages, priced at two cents – was published on July 8, 1889. (Subscribers in 1889 were offered an annual deal of just $5, though of course that didn’t include a digital edition.) Watch this space for how the paper covered wars, crashes, sinkings (we didn’t get the Titanic quite right), celebrations, inventions, triumphs and other notable events.